USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 92277 — Twentynine Palms, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Twentynine Palms, CA (1,975 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Twentynine Palms, the last spring frost (32°F) is around January 24 in half of years and has passed by February 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 10, as early as November 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 321 days (NOAA, Twentynine Palms, CA).
- Last spring frost
- January 24
- First fall frost
- December 10
- Growing season
- 321 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 5%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Twentynine Palms
Half of springs at Twentynine Palms, CA see their last 32°F night by January 24; only one in ten is past it by December 22, and one in ten still has one after February 22. Planting tender crops after February 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 13 20%, and after February 22 10%. The 29 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 52% of the 220 California stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 10 in half of years, as early as November 24 one year in ten, and holds off past January 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 8, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 321 days in a typical year, longer than at 75% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 354 days one year in ten and falls short of 284 one year in ten. On average 17 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 26 days longer, to about February 19, and return around November 27. A 24°F night is unusual: 17% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 22 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 |
| 32°F97% of yrs | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 |
| 28°F63% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 19 | Jan 31 | Feb 8 |
| 24°F17% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 |
| 32°F97% of yrs | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 |
| 28°F63% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 28 |
| 24°F17% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Twentynine Palms, CA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 92277 →Compare Twentynine Palms with another place →
Weather by month in Twentynine Palms
July is the warmest month at Twentynine Palms, CA, averaging 104°F by day and 77°F at night; December is the coldest at 62°F and 40°F. From March to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,576 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 96% of the 283 California stations. 40% of them (3,065) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,262. Precipitation totals 4.1 inches a year, most in August (0.7") and least in June (0.0"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 42 | 0.5 | 64% | 5 | 118 |
| Feb | 67 | 44 | 0.6 | 36% | 2 | 177 |
| Mar | 74 | 49 | 0.4 | 5% | 1 | 365 |
| Apr | 81 | 55 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 534 |
| May | 90 | 63 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 818 |
| Jun | 99 | 71 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 1052 |
| Jul | 104 | 77 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 1262 |
| Aug | 103 | 76 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 1226 |
| Sep | 97 | 69 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 987 |
| Oct | 85 | 58 | 0.2 | 0% | <1 | 659 |
| Nov | 72 | 47 | 0.2 | 22% | 2 | 290 |
| Dec | 62 | 40 | 0.6 | 84% | 6 | 88 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Twentynine Palms, CA (1,975 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Joshua Tree, CA, 14 miles west of Twentynine Palms and 588 feet higher, has a last frost 35 days later (February 28), a first frost 9 days earlier (December 1), a season 48 days shorter.
When it snows in Twentynine Palms, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Twentynine Palms, CA, 2.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 92277
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 15 – November 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| November 29 – December 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| December 27 – January 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| January 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 10 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 92277 is 3 miles from Twentynine Palms, CA, which stands at 1,975 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 92277 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across California →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.